Dispenser



July 31, 1934. R E 1,968,641

DISPENSER Filed Feb. 9, 1933 l atented July 31 1934 UNITED. STATESPATENT OFFICE DISPENSER Paul Greig, 'Hempstead, Tex. ApplicationFebruary 9, 1933, Serial No. 655,897

7 Claims. (01. 221-104) Thisinvention relates to a dispenser;

Anobject of the invention is to provide a dispenser for deliveringpredetermined quantities of material from a container.

Another object is to provide a dispenser particularly designed fordispensing measured quantities of ground coffee, or similar material,from a container.

Another object is to provide a device of the character described whichmay be readily operated, to measure and deliver the material to bedispensed, by one hand of the operator.

A further object is to provide a dispenser having a reserve chamber. forcontaining a reserve supply of the material to be dispensed, to be usedwhen the contents of the main container have been exhausted.

A still further object is to provide a dispenser of the characterdescribed having a main container and a reserve chamber wherein thecontents may be kept sealed and kept free from moisture.

i A still further feature resides in a novel type of measuring plungerwhich is of such construction that it will not be liable to become stuckor jammed.

With the above and other objects in view this invention relates tocertain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement ofparts, an example of which is given in this specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a side view of the dispenser partly broken away.

Figure 2 shows a vertical sectional view.

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1,and

Figure 4 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 4.4 of Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to thedrawing, wherein like numerals ofreference designate the same parts in each of the views, the numeral 1designates a container, preferably cylindrical in form, and composed ofsheet metal or other suit able material. This container has a removablecover such as designated by the numeral 2.

The container encloses the main chamber 3 whose bottom is formed into ahopper 4. The lower end of this hopper terminates in an outlet 5,preferablyrectangular in shape.

The hopper 4 is located slightly forwardly of the vertical central axisof the container so that its forward and side margins will merge withthe corresponding inside walls of the main chamber 3, with its rearmargin spaced inwardly from the corresponding wall of said chamber 3 tothe end that a reserve chamber 6 will be provided, said reserve chamberhaving the front arcuate wall 7 on the upper margin of which the hopperis supported. The reserve chamber has a suitable bottom as 8.

Adjacent the lower end of the hopper 4 there is a transverse guide fromthe front to the rear of the container. This guide has the side walls 9,9, the top 10 and the bottom 11. The hopper outlet 5 continues throughthe top 10 of the guide and slidably mounted in this guide is themeasuring plunger 12, which fits snugly in said guide. The plunger isnormally held in its forward position by a resilient member such as acoil spring 13 one end of which is seated in a deep socket 14 in theinner end of the plunger and whose other end is seated in a socket 15 ofthe spacer block 16 in the rearward end of said guide, and when theplunger is in said forward position it will close the outlet 5.

The plunger 12 has the measuring compartment 17 therethrough normally inregistration with the forwardly declining delivery chute 18therebeneath, and which leads through the bottom of the container 1.

When the plunger is moved inwardly the measuring compartment 1'7 will bebrought into registration with the outlet 5 and said compartment will befilled with a measure of coffee or other material to be dispensed. Whenthe plunger is released the spring 13 will return the plunger to itsoriginal, orforward, position closing the outlet 5 andregistering thecompartment 17 with the delivery chute 18 and the measured quantity willbe discharged into the coffee pot or other receptacle provided toreceive it.

The forward and rear margins of the outlet 5 may be formed with sharpcutting edges, as 19, 20 and thecorners of the plunger at the top of thecompartment 17 may be formed with sharp cutting edges 21, 22 and theseedges 21, 22 may be arranged slightly diagonal with respect to thecutting edges 19, 20, to the end that as the plunger is forced inwardlythe edge 22 will coact with the edge 20, with shear-like effect and uponreturn movement of the plunger the edge 22 will co-act with the edge 19with shear-like effect so that the grains, or particles, of the materialthat may become wedged between said coacting edges will be out, orsheared, in two and the plunger will not become stuck, or jammed.

It is desirable that means be provided for operating the plungerconveniently with one hand so that the receiving pot. or receptacle maybe held with the other hand. Novel means has been provided for thispurpose. As shown, the front side of the container 1, opposite theplunger guide, is transversely creased, or depressed, and secured to thedepressed portion of the wall there is an outwardly extending sleeve 23forming a bearing and the outer end of the sleeve is enlarged forming aconcavo-convex finger grip, or anchor, 24 with its concaved sideoutwardly. A push rod 25 is attached to the forward end of the plunger12 and works outwardly through said sleeve 23 and the outer end of thepush rod may have a push plate 26 thereon, if desired.

The dispenser will usually be kept on a pantry shelf, or table, and whenit is desired to use the same it may be moved forwardly until the chutel8 clears the edge of the supporting shelf or table. With one hand thecoffee pot, or other receptacle, may then be held underneath said chuteand with the other hand the grip 24 may be grasped by the fingers andpressure applied to the push rod 25 to move the plunger inwardly to re.-ceive a measure of the article to be dispensed and said rod thenreleased and the plunger will be returned, by the spring 13, todischarge the material. The operation may be repeated until the requirednumber of measures has been discharged.

Should the main chamber 3 be inadvertently completely emptied there willstill be a supply in the reserve chamber 6 sufficient tolast until thedispenser can be replenished. This reserve supply may be renderedavailable by upsetting the dispenser to discharge the contents of thechamher 6 into the chamber 3 and the reserve supply may be thendispensed as above explained.

The drawing and description disclose what is now considered to be apreferred form of the invention by way of illustration only, but theinvention is broader than the illustrative embodiment thereof, and Itherefore intend no. limitations other than those imposed by theappended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A dispenser comprising a container having a main chamber formed witha hopper-like bottom provided with an outlet, said container also havinga reserve chamber, partly around and beheath, said hopper-like bottom, aplunger guide adjacent the bottom of the main chamber having a dischargechute declining therefromand oifset forwardly from said outlet, 2,plunger in said guidev having a measuring compartment, means formanually moving the plunger into position to move said measuringcompartment into align-v ment with said outlet to permit the compartmentto fill, means for automatically moving the plunger into position toalign the measuring compartment with said chute to permit thecompartment to empty, said reserve chamber being open above whereby uponthe inversion and manipulation of the container the contents ofthereserve chamber may be transferred into said hopper like bottom.

2. Dispensing apparatus comprising a container for the material to bedispensed and having a hopper provided with an outlet, a delivery chute,a plunger having a measuring compartment, a guide along which theplunger is movable, means for moving the plunger into one position tocause said compartment to register with said outlet and into anotherposition to cause said compartment to register with said chute, saidoutlet and plunger having sharp, angularly related, cutting edges whichcooperate, upon such movement of the plunger, to shear the materialbetween said co' operating edges.

3. Dispensing apparatus comprising a container for the material to bedispensed and having a hopper provided with an outlet, a delivery chute,a plunger having a measuring compartment, a guide along which theplunger is movable, the front wall of the container opposite the plungerguide being depressed, a finger grip or anchor connected to thecontainer and located within the depression of said wall of saidcontainer, manually operable means associated with said finger gripthrough which the plunger may be moved into one position to registersaid compartment with said outlet and means for automatically moving theplunger into another position to cause said compartment to register withsaid chute.

4. A dispenser comprising a container having a main chamber formed witha hopper-like bottom provided with an outlet, said container also havinga reserve chamber adjacent said hopperlike bottom, a plunger guideadjacent the bottom of the main chamber whose forward end has adischarge opening which is offset forwardly from said bottom outlet, aplunger in said guide having a measuring, compartment, means formanually moving the plunger into, position to register the measuringcompartment with said outlet to permit said compartment to fill, meansvfor automatically moving the plunger into position to permit thedischarge of the contents of the measuring compartment through saiddischarge opening whereby the measuring compartment is permitted toempty, said reserve chamber being open above whereby upon inversion ofthe container the contents of the reserve chamber may be transferredinto said hopper-like bottom.

5,. Dispensing apparatus comprising a containerfor the material to bedispensed and having a, hopper provided with an outlet, said apparatushaving a delivery opening, a plunger having a measuring compartment, aguide along which the plunger is movable, the front wall of thecontaineropposite the plunger guide being depressed, a finger gripconnected to the container and located Within the depression of saidwall of the container, manually operable means associated with thefinger grip through which the plunger may be moved into one position toregister said compartment with said outlet and means for automaticallymoving the plunger into another position to permit the contents of saidcompartment to pass through said delivery opening.

6. Dispensing apparatus comprising a container for the material to be.dispensed and having a hopper provided with an outlet, said apparatushaving a delivery opening, a plunger having a measuring compartment, aguide along which the plunger is movable into. one. position to registersaid compartment with said outlet and into another position to permitthe contents of said compartment to pass. through the delivery opening,thefront wall of the container opposite the plunger guide beingdepressed, a finger grip located in said depression, means associatedwith the finger grip through which the plunger may be manually moved toone of said positions and means for automatically moving the plunger tothe other of said positions.

7. Dispensing apparatus comprising a container having a main chamberformed with ahopperlike bottom, said container also having a reservechamber adjacent said hopper-like bottom, said apparatus having adelivery opening, a plunger having-a measuring compartment, a guidealong one of said positions, means for automatically moving the plungerto the other of said positions, said reserve chamber being open abovewhereby upon inversion of the container the contents of the chamber maybe transferred into the hopperiike bottom.

PAUL GREIG.

